The Knight
by Sereven
Summary: If fate forces you to choose, either your honor or your loyalty, what would you take? On the eve of a new war, Harry Potter must make this live changing decision. Will he do the honorable thing or will he stand with his family, no matter the consequences? And most important, would his loyalty even matter in the end? AU older!Harry, post Hogwarts
1. Cassandra

**So another story some of you wanted to get back. No, not Aegis, I am still not sure whether I will ever post this story again, after the shit storm I had to go through because of it. **

**Just as a reminder, this story is not entirely about Hogwarts. In fact Harry has already graduated. He is two years older and has a younger brother. Neville is the BWL in this story, but there will not be any bashing. In the book timeframe, we have reached the fifth year in canon and Harry's first year after Hogwarts in this one.**

**Oh well enough here, have fun with this one...**

* * *

><p>It was a quiet day. The heat, unusual even during the summer, drove most people away from the streets, leaving them deserted. Wizards and muggles alike were affected greatly, all suffering equally from the glaring of the sun.<p>

So it happened that one Harry James Potter slowly ambled down the deserted streets of Diagon Alley, whistling a merry tune as he did so. He actually liked it this way, having some time to himself, to think. Usually he would have to seclude himself, seeking refuge in the small library of his family's home. But this day allowed him to go out, undisturbed by others.

No one would stop him, asking questions that he would rather not even think about. The Daily Prophet had just begun to print the slandering lies about Neville Longbottom, the boy-who-lived. It was gross and downright vicious what was written in that rag. But Harry wouldn't be bothered that much, if they merely targeted the little prick. No, what made Harry mad, was the fact that they dared to write lies about his younger brother as well. He knew that nothing good would ever come of being friends with the likes of Longbottom, but what Charlus had to endure now, was beyond reasoning.

His parents obviously didn't care one bit about what the Prophet published day after day, merely shrugging it off. He knew that they were most likely furious as well, but they acted as if they did not care, all because Albus Dumbledore told them to.

Maybe the old man was right and ignoring the Prophet really was the better choice, but Harry, being the hothead he was, couldn't just accept it quietly. He knew it would be dumb to antagonize the newspaper, so he tried to seclude himself, to avoid confrontation. The success of that was... not what he had been looking for.

He got bored, incredibly bored in fact. He had to get out, else he would go insane. Well some people might say that he already is, but in his opinion there was not even one sane person at his entire former school, so it didn't really matter what the others said.

So he went for a walk. To Diagon Alley, despite his parents' prohibition. He was of age now, so he really did not have to listen to everything they said. Being the heir of an old family also had its perks. He had finished his schooling and would start Auror training in a few weeks, so he was quite confident in his abilities as well, so what bad could happen to him? It isn't like he would be dumb enough to fight a group of Death Eaters in the middle of Diagon Alley... well not for long... not if he had no chance, but otherwise... he would do what he had to do. If they posed a threat to his family...

"Well, well. Look what we have here. A not so little Potter, all alone in Diagon Alley." A girl said with a sultry voice. A voice that Harry knew very well. He turned around, only to look into the smirking face of a young girl.

"Hestia Carrow. I should have known that someone with your family background would run around here without any worry." He looked at her in mock condescension. She stared at him as if she evaluated the worth of an animal she would possibly take home with her. But the tension between the two didn't last very long. Harry's face was still a cold mask, but Hestia couldn't help herself but laugh.

"You can't stay that serious for more than two minutes, Harry." Hestia said with a more mirthful look on her face. He knew she rarely laughed, at least not at Hogwarts. Showing too much emotion was never a good thing in Slytherin. At least not for a girl, that was only considered as a good bargaining tool by her pure blood family. The less people got interested in her, the less marriages offers would be made. Being less popular was only a small price to pay, if it meant that she could choose her future life herself. Not to mention that her popularity hit rock bottom, when she accepted tutoring from a Gryffindor. Namely Harry James Potter.

"What can I say, it's part of my charm." He replied with a haughty smirk. He liked to get Hestia and her sister all flustered, it was the most hilarious sight he had ever seen.

Thankfully neither of the Carrow twins would think too much about his words, they were both too young... or at least they were in the past. They were a year younger than his sister and, Merlin be praised, two Slytherins that Harry knew and trusted. There were a few more, some in his brother's year, too. People that had spied for him and made sure to keep his brother out of the line of fire, whenever Malfoy and his cronies tried to start a fight with Neville and his sidekicks.

Harry wasn't dumb and knew the position his family was in. He knew what would await him, once he would take over his family's hereditary seat in the Wizengamot. Making allies while still in school was much easier... and cheaper. His father did not approve of his choices, but that did not mean that he had forbidden Harry to do what he believed to be good for his family's future. But it has caused a rift between Harry and James, one that would probably never fully heal.

"So what brings you here, Harry?"

"Curious as ever. Well I thought it would be a good time for a walk. Not many people around and..."

"No one asking stupid questions." Hestia finished with a smirk. He raised an eyebrow in bewilderment, when she looked at him smugly. "Don't be like that. You have tutored me and my sister for two years now, it is quite easy for us to know what you think."

"Is that so?" Harry asked, his voice laced with disbelief. "Than tell me what I am thinking about right now."

His challenge was met with a victorious smirk on the girls face. "Usually I would have said that you think about 101 ways to burn down the Daily Prophet without getting caught... but knowing you better than that, I would say that you are currently thinking about that French witch you accompanied to the Yule Ball."

"I am not thinking about Fleur, Hestia."

"So you still know her name. Curious, you tend to forget the names of all your admirers."

"Fleur is just a friend. A good friend, from another country, but nothing more than that. We just did not fit together as anything more." Harry stated calmly.

"Sure." Hestia said with an unconvinced look on her face.

Harry really did not like where this talk was headed, so he decided to change the topic. "And where is you shadow? Flora never leaves your side for more than a few minutes. Have you two been arguing again?"

"No, she is browsing books at the moment. I just saw you through the windows of the shop and decided to be a nice person and talk to you for a bit."

"Much appreciated, Hestia."

"But there is also something else..." Suddenly all playfulness vanished from her face, replaced by a serious frown. "I also wanted to warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Yes, my parents actually do like you as a possibly ally in the future, so they approved of me telling you this." She paused for a moment, looking around for any person who might listen in. Harry quickly took out his wand and cast a small privacy charm, to make it easier for Hestia. "You and your family must be careful. Some of the dark idiots are planning something incredibly dumb..."

"Your recently escaped aunt and uncle wouldn't be part of that group, or are they?"

"They are leading the group of idiots. They want to impress the dark lord by getting him powerful new allies... but they don't know what they are doing. They are about to rouse a sleeping giant." Her words were like a riddle, but he caught onto the meaning quite easily. But he really hoped that he was wrong. Not even the dumbest Death Eater would do such an insanely stupid thing.

"Are they going to..."

"Don't say it out loud." Hestia admonished. The fourteen year old girl looked rather scared by the mere thought. "The looming civil war will be bad enough, we really don't need a much bigger war."

"I see. Thank you for telling me this, Hestia. I really appreciate it."

"Please don't judge my family too harshly because of the actions of those two rejects. We may not agree with Dumbledore and his lackeys' point of view, but that does not mean that we agree with everything You-know-who does."

"Don't worry, I won't." He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a supportive squeeze. To him it was not much of a special act, but he knew that others would probably never believe that Hestia allowed him to touch her like this. The last boy who did it ended in the hospital wing for nearly a week. Well Nott had it coming anyways.

"Be careful, Harry. I know you want to be an Auror. You will be in the middle of a conflict, that will kill countless people. Don't die out there. My family has finally found a worthy ally in a light family, we don't want to loose that chance to redeem our name."

"I am no pushover, Hestia. I am an accomplished duelist. I will not fall. My duty forbids such a failure."

"I feared you would say something like that." She said with a sigh. "Just be careful." She looked around once more. "I have to go now. Be safe, Harry."

"You, too, Hestia. And say hello to Flora for me."

She nodded, before she turned away and reentered the book shop. The things she had told Harry just now were very disconcerting. If Hestia really meant what he believed... He could only curse the idiocy of those foolish Death Eaters. The decade in Azkaban has really fried their brains, if they believe this will end in their favor.

He really had no choice now, but to return home. He had to warn others. His parents... even Dumbledore, as much as he loathed to be in the presence of the old man. He knew that Dumbledore wasn't a bad man, but he tended to manipulate people, only to achieve his Greater Good. But this was not something to keep secret. His family, his friends, all would be in danger.

He turned on his heels, walking back to the apparition point in a fast pace. _'There goes my free day in the sun' _he thought solemnly.

But luck was not on his side, not today. Before he reached the only place where people apparate in and out, someone else had arrived. Two black clad figures, with hoods and bone white masks to hide their faces.

_'Shit. Shit. SHIT!' _He yelled in his mind. He quickly took cover behind a cart, hoping that the two had not seen him yet. But there was no one else on the street. They would have to be blind to not see him.

"Search the area. The others will arrive soon. We have to find her. Our lord will punish us severely, should we fail." One of the Death Eaters said.

_'Great... they are blocking the exit. I need to get past them without..."_

Suddenly a curse hit the cart, making it

"Shit." Harry said, before he dove to the side, back behind the cart. Another curse hit the wooden cart, sending splinter flying around like projectiles. Harry was lucky that he was not hit... _'not yet' _he added in his mind. He left his cover, wise enough to cast a shield charm first. He tried to get into his accustomed flow, the way he fought and won every single duel during his time at Hogwarts. But this was not sport, this was not dueling for fun. One mistake and he would be done for.

"Come out, come out and play, little Potter. Don't think we haven't seen your face. We know who you are." One of the Death Eaters mocked with almost childish glee. Judging by the voice it was a woman, it was hard to tell with the black robes that all of the wore.

Harry sidestepped another cutting curse, retaliating with a bludgeon hex of his own. The aiming was right, the spell hit, but the shield of the Death Eater merely flared up for a moment, before it returned to its former, almost invisible state.

"Is that all you got, Potter? You mocked the heirs of noble pure blood families for many years, half blood, and this is all you've got?" The Death Eater challenged with an insane laugh. "We should fight your little brother instead of you. Surely he would put up a better fight, before he would inevitably die at our hands. Slow and painfully. But we will find out soon. Your family and all those other light sycophants will die, when our master rises to greatness. You all will burn!"

When the Death Eater stopped mocking him and focused on talking about what they would do to his brother... to his family... Harry snapped. There was no way he would let them anywhere near Charlus or any other member of his family.

"You damn monster won't go anywhere near my brother. If anyone will burn here, it will be you." Harry yelled angrily. He waved his wand in a slashing motion, before a long string of fire erupted from its tip. The result was a magnificent flame whip, the fire burning so hot, that it made the glaring sun envious on this day. "You..." He swung the whip at the Death Eater, making her shield flare up brightly, "will..." He swung again, once more the shield flared up, "stay..." The third attack, finally enough to collapse the shield, "away from my brother!" As he finished his sentence, he attacked for the fourth time. The whip coiled around the Death Eater's arm, incinerating it. The smell of burned cloth and charred flesh filled the air, the agonized screams of the woman resounded through the street.

Had Harry looked around, he would have seen many people looking out of the windows of the shops and other buildings. They all watched, none of them willing to involve themselves here.

The other Death Eater stood there, looking at his wounded companion. Harry was sure that he had seen fear in his eyes, in that brief moment he saw the dark orbs through the slits of the mask. He stumbled back for a moment, but his fear dissipated, when suddenly more black robed wizards and witches appeared at the apparition point next to him. All of them seemed surprised when they saw one of their own on the ground, holding the charred remains of her former arm.

Harry nearly panicked now. The rush of rage and power he had felt before quickly left him and now he was there, all alone in front of nearly a dozen Death Eaters. He looked at the apparition point, hoping that he might make it there, to leave before he was hit by something. But the chances were near nil. It was in this moment, that he realized, that he would die. Blasted luck... this time there would be no escape.

He shoulders sagged slightly, as he resigned himself to his inevitable fate. But that lasted only for some moments, before his determination returned with righteous fury. If he had to die here, he would go down fighting. He would take as many of them with him as possible. Every dead Death Eater would be one less threat to his family. He would not shirk his duty, not even in the face of death.

He raised his wand again, ready to fight. But suddenly an explosion shook the entire street, throwing several Death Eaters to the ground. Everyone was confused. Suddenly a girl ran out of a side-alley, grabbing Harry's arm, dragging him quickly towards the apparition point.

The Death Eaters were still confused and in disarray, so they did not act in time. They realized too late what was happening, but by then Harry and the mysterious girl were gone. The last thing Harry heard was some Death Eaters screaming "There she is!" "Catch her!" "Don't let her escape!"

Harry landed in an undignified heap, as he suddenly reappeared somewhere in the wilderness. He felt disoriented after the sudden apparition. He looked around, his head still spinning, only to see trees. Everywhere around him. One moment he was in the center of London and now he was somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

"Come on. We have to run. Hurry. They can trace us, they will know where we apparated to." The girl said, with worry and urgency in her voice.

"What?"

"Come on." She pulled him up, before she started walking away. It was obvious that she had no idea where she was going. All she knew was that she wanted to get away. Everywhere was fine, as long as it was away from here.

Harry quickly brushed himself off, getting rid of the dirt on his clothes, before he ran after her. He was still angry, confused and on the edge. Adrenaline from his fight before was still pumping through his body, though it had lessened, now that he was out of immediate danger.

"Where are we?"

"Don't know..." The girl said. "Away from those black monkeys at least."

"It is you!" Harry said when the realization hit him. "You are the one they've been looking for." He didn't mean for it to sound accusing, but in the end the damage was done and the girl gave him a cold look over her shoulder, before she stubbornly walked away from him. She didn't care whether he followed her or not. "Death Eaters are hunting you."

"Indeed. But it didn't look like you were best buddies with them either." She snapped back, somewhat annoyed by Harry's sudden attitude.

"Yeah, sorry for being a bit baffled and angry at the moment, but fighting Death Eaters isn't my favorite pastime." He snarled sarcastically. "Why are they hunting you? Did you do something?"

The girl suddenly stopped and turned around, a furious look on her face. "I have done nothing. Those damn bastards came to my home, killed my guards and brought me here. And now I have to find a way out of this blasted country, without being caught by them!" She yelled at him, pouring all her anger and frustration into her voice.

Harry though was stunned to silence. He had not expected her to yell at him like that. She seemed more collected than him, colder in some way. Just like the majority of the pure blood children from pseudo noble families.

"And now... now I have to..." Her voice had forsaken her for a short moment, her emotions becoming too much for her to bear. She sank to her knees, a forlorn look on her face. "I need to get home..." She finally whispered. Her voice was faint, sounding as vulnerable as she looked at that moment.

"Don't worry, you will be back with your family soon." Harry couldn't help himself, but try to comfort her in some way. She didn't cry, but by the looks she was scared.

"You don't understand." She said with a halting voice. "If I don't get back home soon, my family will do something really stupid... stupid like declaring a war..." A single tear slid down her cheek as she said that.

Unconsciously Harry placed a hand on her cheek and wiped away the tear. This girl was so odd, nothing like the girls he knew from school. He felt mesmerized by her deep blue eyes, that seemed like an endless ocean. Even her voice, her strange accent, it made him curious. And then there was her last statement. Her family would declare a war for her sake?

"Who are you?" He spoke his next thought aloud, his eyes never leaving hers, as his hand still cradled her cheek.

"Cassandra..." She said almost inaudibly. "Cassandra Selene Grindelwald, first princess of the Empire." When he heard that, he felt like his whole world had suddenly shattered around him. All his plans and preparations crumbled in a heartbeat.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright. A lot of people wanted me to bring back my stories about the Grindewald Empire. Apparently the idea was appealing enough, though there are just as many people who seem to hate this idea as if it was their nemesis.  
><strong>

**The basic idea behind this story background is that though Gellert Grindelwald was vanquished, his empire did not fall. A hidden heir and his unbeaten army remained and created a lasting empire in central Europe. The idea was to give the British magical society their ideological opponent. Politically the Harry Potter verse felt lacking. We know that there are wizards in other countries and that there is an assembly of their politicians called ICW. But the focus was on the inner conflict against Voldy, so we know nothing about possible other opponents.**

**I will post at least the other chapters I had already posted for this story, but after that... I don't know yet. I depends on both the time I have and the interest in the story. My schedule is full, so I won't devote time and energy on a project that no one cares about. Please understand that. Show me that you want this and I will reconsider...**


	2. Foible

It was silent in the forest. Time stood still for what seemed like an eternity, as Harry stared into the eyes of the girl before him. Her words were still ringing in his ears, as he tried to grasp their meaning.

"The imperial princess..." He muttered, his hand still on her cheek. But not for long, as she turned away from him when she heard his words.

"I know what your people think about my country... I... I should better leave." She scrambled to her feet and turned to leave. But before she could get away she was stopped. Harry had gripped her wrist strongly, but not enough to cause her pain or discomfort. It was on instinct. He didn't want her to leave, even though his mind had not yet grasped why.

"Don't! You won't stand a chance on your own." Harry said softly.

Of course he knew about the Empire. At least everything that the school taught about Britain's long-standing enemy. The cold war between the two countries was an ever present threat, since the day Albus Dumbledore had defeated Gellert Grindelwald. It was the old man's foolish hope that the Empire would collapse without its creator... but he was wrong.

Today every child was taught to fear and mistrust the Imperials. The Durmstrang students from imperial families had to find out first hand, how much people mistrusted them at Hogwarts. None of them were allowed to walk around in the castle without supervision. A foolish notion to treat mere students like that, but the mistrust ran deep.

"Why? I have to leave. They will try to force my family to aid them, should they capture me again. I would rather die than to live with that disgrace. Don't try to stop me." Cassandra said with a stubborn frown. She tried to act tough, but her eyes gave away her fear.

"Do you want to die?"

"No!" She answered with determination.

"Then let me help you."

"Why? Why would a Brit want to help me of all people?"

"Why did you tell me who you really are?" He asked in return.

She looked puzzled for a moment. It was obvious that she had no answer for that. "I don't know..."

"Same for me. But I know that I just cannot abandon you like this. It would be wrong, no matter where you are from. You have done nothing bad, at least nothing that I know of. So I do the right thing and help you get back home. It's gentleman's duty." She still looked at him quizzically. Well he wouldn't have believed himself, had he been in her place. He must have sounded like a fool. He knew that he had to help her, it was his duty, especially when a war could break out because of her.

She looked near tears again, but managed to keep her emotions in check this time. She had not expected anyone to help her, not here in Britain.

"Thank you..."

"Come, we need to get somewhere safe. Back to civilization..."

"I can't go back to your community. I already risked too much by going to Diagon Alley. Should your government get me... I shudder to think what they might try to do..."

Harry had to admit that she was right. Fudge was a fool. A fool hellbent on being remembered as a great minister. He would use her in an attempt to force the Empire to surrender. An attempt to end the cold war once and for all... end it in favor of Britain.

So with both the Death Eaters and the Ministry as threats to her safety, there was not much of a choice but to avoid Britain's magical society.

Before Cassandra could as much as utter a single word, Harry had already apparated them out of the wilderness and back into the center of civilization.

"Where are we now?" Cassandra asked, a worried look adorning her face.

"London. And no, we are nowhere near Diagon Alley. This is a dark little alley in the center of London. Don't worry, there are too many people apparating in and out of this city, it will take them hours to find out where we went. By then we will already be gone."

"I need to get to France, my family has allies there. It will be safer than here." Cassandra said. "But first... I need new clothes."

"Shopping? Really? What about the whole we don't have time to waste thing?" Harry deadpanned.

"Just look at the state of my clothes. I will stick out like a sore thumb. If we wish to remain undetected by my enemies, I can't risk casting illusions on myself all the time."

It was odd for Harry to notice now, that he had not had a proper look at her since they had met. Usually he would study his female acquaintances very closely, but most of the time he had found himself captivated by Cassandra's blue eyes. She was right, her clothing was in tatters and dirty. For a moment he was sure he had also seen dried blood, but she quickly hid that part from sight. But even in these rags she looked exceptional to Harry. A beauty unlike any other he had seen so far.

"Are you done undressing me with your eyes?" Cassandra snapped accusingly.

"I wasn't..."

"Yeah right. Come on, we need to find a shop." She cast a quick charm on herself, hiding her destroyed clothes expertly from sight. At least no muggle would be able to see the truth.

Moments later they were in the middle of muggle London. People rushed by, most without even acknowledging the two adolescents. Harry was already used to this, the busy muggle world, filled with odd sounds and impressions. His mother had brought him and his brother to London and some other muggle cities in Britain. She wanted them to grow up in both worlds and Harry had to admit that he was grateful, that she had done that. The muggle part of the world was a good place to disappear to for a few hours or days. And now he profited from that as well.

When he looked over to his companion, he was quite surprised to see that Cassandra was obviously used to the muggle world as well. She managed to blend in with ease, making it look even more natural than his own acting.

"What?" Cassandra asked with a raised eyebrow, as she saw him stare at her again.

"I didn't expect a sheltered princess to know how to act like a muggle." Harry replied with a mirthful chuckle.

Her indignation was obvious now, so Harry quickly stopped chuckling. "You don't know anything about me..." She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, a strange look on her face all of a sudden. "I... I don't even know your name. Only that the black monkeys called you Potter."

"Oh, forgive this fool for not introducing himself." Harry said with a mock haughty voice. He had just realized that he never really introduced himself to her. Well, he would remedy that immediately. Before she knew what was happening, he had taken her hand and gave her a small kiss on her knuckles. "I am Harry James Potter, heir of the old and most distinguished House of Potter. At your service, your highness." He smiled charmingly at her, something he knew would work. It at least did work on most pure blood heiresses at Hogwarts.

"Charming, really." Cassandra drawled in a bored manner, as she pried her hand free from his grasp.

"Anything specific you have in mind?" Harry asked casually, showing no outward reaction to the way she reacted to his introduction.

She still looked slightly miffed, as she started walking away from him. He wasted no time to follow her, staying silent. His eyes wandered, watching the people they passed, hoping that they would not meet anyone who might identify them. But there were only muggles here. He was lucky as it seemed.

"There!" Cassandra suddenly stopped and pointed to a shop down the road.

Harry couldn't help but look in astonishment. "Uhm... you do know that's Harrods. I don't think I have enough muggle currency with me for that..."

"Did you really think I would need you for that? I am a princess, not some random beggar. And unlike your community, my people have much closer ties to the mundane world."

"If you say so..." Harry said cautiously.

* * *

><p>It was not much later that Harry paced through the shop, waiting for Cassandra to finish. He had no idea how long this would take. Odd as it sounded, it was the first time he went clothes shopping with a girl. And Cassandra wasn't just any girl. She was princess after all. With a final sigh, he sat down near the changing rooms, resigning himself to wait until she was done.<p>

He pondered the current situation. They had won some time by hiding in muggle London. Precious time that was now wasted on this. Though he could see the necessity, he still did not like it. The Death Eaters would find them eventually and he would prefer to have that meeting as far away from innocents as possible. All those people around them, the muggles, men, women and children. They were in grave danger just by being near him and Cassandra.

Getting away from London was their top priority. But to achieve that, they would need help. Most people he knew were not qualified for that. They were either not trustworthy enough or too closely tied to the Ministry.

The Ministry... he had not really thought about that, when he offered his help to Cassandra. He had always wanted to be an Auror. At least for a few years until he became the head of the Potter family. He wanted to be an Auror... British law enforcement... servants of the Ministry... and here he was, helping the imperial princess. Should this ever get out, he would never be able to find a job at the Ministry... that is as long as they did not arrest him for treason... which was more likely than not.

He shook that disturbing thought out of his mind for now. He needed help and there were only few he trusted enough for this.

He rummaged through the pocket of his trousers, producing a small mirror, which looked rather old and shady. The muggles would think nothing of it, but to him it was a way to call for help from a man he considered his best friend.

"Come on, Black, don't tell me you do not have the mirror with you." He muttered a bit annoyed, when his first attempts to contact his friend had failed. But moments later the reflection in the mirror vanished and was replaced by the face a boy with long black hair.

"You called the great Master Black, how may I be of service?" The man in the mirror said with a cheeky grin.

"Why didn't you answer sooner, Aries?" Harry hissed. He tried to keep his voice down, so no muggle would feel the need to investigate why exactly he was talking to his hand mirror.

"I had to answer the door. Ced is here. But where are you? What about our plan to play Quidditch this afternoon?"

"Cedric is there with you?" Harry asked in surprise. Of course he had forgotten about that appointment with his friends. But considering what had happened in the last few hours... well it was understandable.

"He is." Aries replied. "Hey Ced, say hello to Harry." He suddenly threw the mirror to the other person, causing Harry's mind to squirm when the image of the mirror started spinning wildly.

"Hey, Harry." Cedric said, after he caught the mirror.

"Ced, pass him back to me." Harry only heard Aries faintly. But before he could say anything, the mirror was sent flying... and spinning... once more.

"Would you two stop that already!?" Harry said in annoyance.

"So, why have you called? Will you be late?" Aries asked curiously.

"I need help."

"Help?"

"Yes. Something... unexpected has happened." Harry said seriously.

Aries raised an eyebrow, when he saw Harry's seriousness. "Something has happened?"

"Yes. But I don't want to talk about it on the mirror. People here might get suspicious."

"Where are you anyway? You should have been here nearly an hour ago?" Aries asked.

"Muggle London. Harrods to be precise."

"Ah. Any pretty girls nearby?" Aries asked with a grin.

Harry heard a groan from somewhere behind Aries, most likely from Cedric. "Aries, please just come here, so we can talk. And hurry." Harry did not even wait for a reply, before deactivated the charmed mirror and put it away. He was sure that one of the muggles nearby had been looking oddly at him.

* * *

><p>Cassandra stood silently in her changing room, looking at her reflection in the mirror. But it wasn't her looks that occupied her mind at that moment. No, she was far more concerned with the situation she was in at the moment.<p>

Only yesterday she had been at home. Safe and sound, with her family and friends. And then, in the span of only a few hours everything went to hell... Her friends died to protect her and she had been kidnapped by terrorists from the country that hated her family the most. It all happened so fast... so unpredictable.

And now she was free, albeit still in danger. Stranded in the home country of her family's hereditary enemy. "Just why did this all happen to me..." She muttered dejectedly.

At least she wasn't all alone anymore... though she was unsure whether she could trust Harry. His motives were a mystery to her. He did seem genuine... but what if he had an ulterior motive?

She sighed deeply. She to resign herself to her fate. She would have to trust him. She had no other choice. Maybe he was truthful and would truly bring her back home. At least this was better than being the Death Eaters' prisoner. She would not have put it past them to do something... less honorable to her.

She finally left the changing room, to rejoin Harry. They had wasted enough time here. Maybe he had used the time to think of some way to get her to France. She herself had no idea how to achieve that.

She looked around, trying to find Harry. To her surprise she found him easily, but he wasn't alone. There were two more men with him. By the looks they were not much older than him.

They talked lightheartedly, suggesting that they knew each other and were quite comfortable with each other. One of them, a tall and burly boy with dark brown hair, was mostly silent, while Harry seemed to talk animatedly to the other one. The other had black hair, though his was much longer and tied into a neat ponytail, unlike Harry's short, untamed hair.

She didn't know what to think about this situation, so she decided to stay a bit away from them for a moment. Maybe she could get close enough to eavesdrop. It was a chance to learn more about Harry's true motives.

* * *

><p><em>Moments before<em>

Harry waited impatiently. Some had to show up. Cassandra or Aries, it didn't matter who would arrive first. But standing here, alone, waiting for others... he didn't like that.

"Jo, Harry."

_'Finally' _Harry thought relieved. He turned around to see both Aries and Cedric walking towards him in a sedated pace. They had no care in the world. Well they had not seen what he had seen in the last few hours.

"When you asked us to meet here I really didn't expect it to be in the section with all this girly clothes... is there something you want to tell us, buddy? Something you didn't want to tell us via the mirror?" Aries asked, a wide grin on his face.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Black." Harry replied with a humorless laugh. "I have my reasons for being here."

"So I was right, this has something to do with a girl!" Aries said triumphantly.

"Shut it and listen." Harry said seriously. "Yes, my current problem is tied to a certain girl and..."

"I knew it!"

Cedric gave his friend a playful whack on the back of his head, when he saw the rising annoyance on Harry's face. "It must be something really bad. You rarely look this annoyed, Harry." He said with a concerned face.

Leave it to the ever loyal Hufflepuff to be able to understand his state of mind. Ever since their first year, Harry and Cedric had been friends, the latter more often than not helping Harry out when he got into trouble. But Harry wasn't sure whether it would be fair to pull his friend into this mess, but there were too few other people he could trust.

Harry looked around, carefully watching for any muggles who could possibly eavesdrop, before he pulled out his wand and cast a privacy charm, to make absolutely sure that no one else would hear what he had to say. His friends looks changed from surprised to shocked over the next few moments, as he retold everything that had happened since he went Diagon Alley. The only thing he had left out so far was the identity of the girl.

In the end is was Cedric who asked the one questions that was left. "And who is that girl? What makes her so special to the Death Eaters?" Unlike Aries, Cedric had listened silently, at least until Harry had finished.

"One moment." Harry said, before he walked a bit away from the other two. He turned to his left, seeing Cassandra's futile attempt to hide herself by crouching behind hallstand. "Are you done, trying to get past my privacy charm?" He asked her, calmly. He was not surprised that she tried this, though he would have preferred a bit more trust from her.

"Sorry..." Cassandra muttered somewhat embarrassed. They both knew that she was not embarrassed about what she had done, but the fact that she had been caught.

Harry merely gave her an approving nod, before he had a closer look at her new appearance. She was now wearing an open, short sleeved white cardigan, over a black corset like top with a filled black skirt and black knee-high boots. It actually made him feel almost glad that he had taken to wearing black slacks and white dress shirts most of the time, else he would have felt poorly dressed in comparison to her.

"Come, there is someone I want you to meet." He offered her a hand to help her up, which she took after a short moment of hesitation. But much to his surprise she did not relinquish his hand, even as he lead her back to his friends, who were watching the two with growing curiosity.

"Dammit, Harry. Why is it always you!" Aries whined loudly. "All the beautiful blond girls always run to you, it isn't fair."

"Behave, or I bring the fat cat to the vet to have it neutered." Harry threatened with a sickly sweet smirk, that usually would have made Aries quite nervous.

"I'm not a cat, I am a LYNX", Aries replied stubbornly, not realizing what exactly he was spilling at that very moment.

Cedric shook his head in astonishment at the idiocy of the boy. Harry had no qualms to speak out what all of them had been thinking. "Idiot."

Cassandra watched the interactions of the three boys with a mix of curiosity and reluctance. After all she had no idea what would happen to her now, no idea what those three boys would do now. They certainly were a bit odd.

Aries looked ready to complain again, but was quickly silenced by a glare from Harry. Cedric meanwhile took a step closer to Cassandra and offered her his hand to shake.

"Hi there, I'm Cedric Diggory, it's always nice meeting new friends of Harry."

Cassandra arched an eyebrow, as she looked at him. He sure was friendly, even the gentle smile on his face made him look trustworthy... well more trustworthy than Harry, who was more calculating, or the other boy who had just made a fool out of himself. As she decided to act friendly and shake his offered hand, she realized that she was still firmly grasping Harry's hand, not that the boy had done anything to change that.

"Guys, this is Cassandra. Treat her well or fear my retribution." The last part was mostly directed at Aries, who stared Harry in mock fear. "Cassandra, those two are my best friends and two of the people I would trust with my life. The right one is Cedric, as you already know, and that fool to my left is Aries Black, the soon to be appointed Lord Black."

Cassandra didn't really know how to react to that information. She didn't know enough about the power structure in Britain's Ministry to say whether Aries was important or not, but the title of a Lord at least implied some importance.

"Okay, guys, I've explained the problem to you. I'm open for any ideas that might get Cassandra back home in one piece." Harry said, urgency seeping into his voice. He knew they had already wasted enough time and would need to move soon, lest they would loose their only advantage over the Death Eaters.

"Magical transportation is out of the question." Cassandra said with a small frown. It would have been too easy to just apparate away.

"Yeah. The wards are preventing international apparition quite nicely." Harry replied. It was understandable that every country had wards to prevent foreign wizards from apparating in and out like the want to. Though it did raise the question how the Death Eaters managed to capture her and escape the Empire's wrath so easily.

"We could go and get a portkey from the Ministry. Easy and fast way to travel to another country." Aries offered. The idea had merit, but sadly it was also out of the question.

"Everyone knows where the official portkeys take the people. You can bet all your possessions that there will be Death Eaters or at least their spies waiting for us there."

"Right... shit... Brooms?"

"Too easy to spot and intercept. We need to lay low. Not to mention that we will also have the Ministry after us. Cassandra and I need a safe way out of this country."

"That leaves us only with muggle transportation." Cedric interjected.

"Yes, I thought so, too."

"Well we are on an island, so I would say you either have to take a ship or fly..."

"Flying is too dangerous, Cedric. Though it would be quick, it will offer us no way to escape, should enemies attack us on a plane. Not to mention that some of our enemies would just shoot the plane down, killing all the innocent muggles as well."

"Please excuse my question, but what is so damn important about this girl, that both Death Eaters and the Ministry are about to hunt you down without mercy?" Aries finally voiced the one question, that haunted his mind. He looked with suspicion at both Harry and Cassandra, waiting for a satisfactory reply.

Harry hesitated. He had not mentioned her full name, when he introduced her. It was bad enough that he had to involve his friends in this, he didn't want them to be seen as willing accomplices. As long as they did not know who they are helping, they could always claim that they were fooled by a friend, should they ever be caught and questioned.

"She is... her family is very important. The Death Eaters hope to ransom her out, to fund their operations." A small lie, but still he didn't like that he had to do it. But the lie wasn't so far from the truth. The Death Eaters really wanted to ransom her out, but not for money, but for support.

"And the Ministry?"

"Think about who is currently filling Fudge's pockets with gold."

"Malfoy... I see your point." Aries voice became cold when he said the name of that man. More than once there had been attempts on his life. No one could prove anything, but it was clear that Malfoy was behind all that. Without him in the way, Malfoy's ill begotten spawn would inherit the entire Black family power and fortune.

"So, any better ideas than to find a ship that will take us to the continent?" Harry asked, looking at each of the other persons around him.

"The tunnel!" Cassandra said determinedly. "There is a tunnel for trains, connecting Britain and France."

"And how exactly do you know about that?" Aries asked curiously.

"I have attended Beauxbatons until last year and the students from mundane families like to talk about the many great things that their people have invented and built."

"You have not been with the French delegation during the Tournament, at least I can't remember your face." Aries said with interest, as he once more allowed himself to have much closer look at the girl, much to her own annoyance.

"No, since it was obvious that I would be in danger in this country."

"Right... about that tunnel, do you mean the Channel Tunnel near Dover?"

"Yes, so you do know it."

"Heard about it. My mother reads muggle newspapers, so I kind of read about it, too, some time ago. I think they said there are muggle trains traveling from London all the way to Paris..." He tried to remember the article, but it was far too long ago and he had not really read the entire thing, merely the headlines and stuff that stuck out.

"Sounds too good to be true. Are you sure that this will allow you to get to France?" Cedric asked, doubt visible on his face.

"It sounds like the best chance we have. It's easier to get away from a train, compared to a plane." Harry looked around the room. They surely must have been an odd sight to the people. Or maybe not, four adolescents, chatting amicably, was not such an unusual sight. But it didn't matter, he really wanted to leave this place, to get Cassandra out of the country as quickly as possible.

"Then we need to get to the train station." Cedric finished Harry's thoughts, with the logical conclusion.

"Yes, you two go there. Please arrange everything for our immediate departure." Harry said imploringly.

Aries though did not look like he liked what he had just heard. "And you?" He asked.

"Cassandra and I need to leave some false tracks. I don't fancy any pursuers."

Cedric nodded quickly, understanding what Harry meant. The ever loyal Puff would do what needed to be done to help his friend. But Aries was a different case. He opened his mouth to protest, most likely because he did not like to see his friend getting into trouble. Typical Gryffindor thinking. But Cedric left him no choice but to follow. He grabbed the young Black's collar and pulled him along, under loud protest.

Harry watched as his friends got out of his sight. He really did not want to involve them, but at least they would be out of immediate danger once he and Cassandra were on the train. Those two would be able to go back home and continue their lives as if nothing had ever happened.

"Are you alright?" Cassandra asked, a worried look on her face.

Harry sighed, as he looked over to her, once more loosing himself in her blue eyes that seemed to mesmerize him every time he looked into them. "Yeah. I just don't like to have them involved in this mess... but it is unavoidable. We don't have the time to do everything on our own."

Cassandra got closer and hugged him, burying her head in his shoulder. Seeing his genuine worry soothed her own worried mind. She doubted that this was all an act. Seeing him like this, she knew she could trust him. "Thank you." She said almost inaudibly.

"Don't thank me yet, we are not out of this country. But don't worry. I'll be with you all the way to protect you." He patted her back, in what he hoped was a soothing manner. He knew that his decisions was not just out of the duty to protect his family from the war... no, he knew that he had made Cassandra's protection his personal duty on this day. And it was a duty he would never allow himself to fail at.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So here is the second chapter for all of you. I hope you all liked it.  
><strong>

**But I remember one rather... vocal critic who complained in a very colorful way about how Cassandra acts in this chapter. Just think about it like this, she is far more cunning that you might think and sometimes the smallest gestures can have a large impact.**

**Okay, third chapter will be out tomorrow...**


	3. He, she, they

He sat quietly in his office, slowly reading the report he had just received from one of his contacts at the Ministry's law enforcement. It was most disturbing and worrying for the old wizard. He had not expected something like this, at least not so soon.

He stood up and walked over to his pet phoenix. The beautiful bird was busy preening its feathers, as the man stopped next to its perch. Almost absentmindedly the old man started to pet the bird, much to its enjoyment.

"Fawkes, my old friend, I fear I made some very big mistakes. I underestimated our enemies once more. I just hope that it has not cost us one of our most promising young wizards." It was on such days, that Albus Dumbledore felt every single one of his more than one hundred years.

Old age always comes with many memories... and even more regrets. Especially for a man who has been as involved in the world's fate as he had been. He had lost many people he considered friends, in both the wars against Grindelwald and Voldemort. He had vowed to make sure that things would not be the same, once Voldemort would rise for the second time.

But apparently, he had failed. An attack, in the middle of Diagon Alley. In broad daylight to boot... He wondered whether this would finally convince Fudge that Voldemort was back and amassing his forces once more. But deep down he knew, he knew that Fudge would not believe it and the entire incident would be seen as a mere dispute between quarreling families.

But there was one question, that was much more pressing than what Fudge would do now. The question that bothered him more was where Harry Potter had disappeared to. The boy had not resurfaced after the attack. Was the boy still alive? Was he hunted by the Death Eaters? Surely he would need help, but why had he not contacted anyone so far?

Albus' feelings towards the eldest Potter child were mixed. On the one hand he was proud of the boy. After all he was one of the finest the school has produced in the last century. Strong and proud, but not arrogantly so. Just and cunning. Harry Potter was well respected by his peers. His respect transcended even the house barriers, that centuries of rivalry had built. Only the staunchest blood purists saw him as unworthy.

He knew that Harry would play an important role in Britain's future. And he did everything he could to aid the boy's ascent. He guided him, subtly of course, but he did what he could to make sure that Harry learned everything he would need to know. He had encouraged his attempts to build alliances that his father would have never even considered. And he had empowered the boy, both through offering him knowledge and other ways to obtain power.

But no matter what Albus did, he was never able to gain Harry's trust. The boy had been suspicious of his motives ever since he first found out about the hand that guided him through his early school years. And no matter what Albus did, Harry's distrust only increased. The boy was not hostile, far from it. He was courteous, but never open with his feelings.

Eventually he had realized that Harry would inevitably turn completely away from him, should he continue to aid the boy, without giving him a proper explanation. But he couldn't do that, telling the boy too much, too soon, would also only turn the boy against him as well.

So he had to switch to other tactics. He had other people help him in helping Harry. Filius Flitwick had been he most useful in that regard. The small Charms Professor had heard about Harry's interest in dueling and quickly offered his young student to become his tutor in that regard. It was most beneficial for both of them.

Everything went well and Harry was quickly becoming the man this country needed him to be. Albus knew that it would be Neville Longbottom's fate to defeat Voldemort, but young Neville lacked the traits a true leader would need. Harry Potter though, yes, the boy was what Britain would need after war. A man who could get both sides to work together willingly.

But all his plans would be useless, should the Death eaters have gotten their hands on him. Their country could not afford loosing Harry. So Albus knew what he had to do. It was time to call the Order for a meeting. The war had begun sooner than he had anticipated. But it would not start with such a big sacrifice. Not this time.

* * *

><p>He was walking at a leisurely pace through the halls of the Ministry. He had an appointment with the Minister, though he knew that Fudge wouldn't mind to wait a few moments. He paid the fool enough for that.<p>

"Lord Malfoy, the Minister is already waiting for you, sir." The secretary greeted him respectfully, signaling for him to just go into the office. He ignored the woman, mostly because she was of no use or importance to him. She was just one of countless half-bloods that worked in low positions at the Ministry. Well, at least she knew her place.

He quickly walked past her and entered the office of the Minister, a superior smirk on his face that only made him look even haughtier than before. Inside he saw Fudge, sitting behind his desk, dozing slightly in his chair. When he opened the door a little louder than necessary, the Minister shot up from his place.

"Hn, what?" The rotund man asked in confusion, before he spotted Malfoy. "Ah, Lucius. How good to see you on this fine day. We had an appointment, no?"

"Indeed. I'm sure your men have already informed you about what has happened earlier today."

"Yes, yes. Terrible business. Such violence in the middle of Diagon Alley. I've been told that one of the participants in that fight has died due to her wounds."

"Indeed." Lucius said. His voice was bare of any emotion. Though Allecto Carrow was an ally and servant of the Dark Lord, he couldn't bring himself to care about her death. She had brought that upon herself when she made the foolish decision to antagonize people. And now he was also tasked with making sure that their insane plan would actually benefit the Dark Lord instead of disturbing his plans like it would have, had that girl not escaped.

"Such a terrible tragedy."

"Yes, but I am also here because of some news that I acquired from my... special contacts." Now he had Fudge's full attention. The man was always very much interested in the information that Lucius' spies could provide. They had been useful tools to dispose of political opponents. "Apparently the Potter boy has not fought against those people because of a mere feud."

"Ah, yes. Harry Potter. It would have been really surprising to see a Potter fight for something as petty as an old feud." Fudge conceded.

"No, the boy is involved in something far more sinister, Cornelius. He was protecting someone. A girl."

"And how is that to be considered as sinister?"

"The girl is an imperial spy. She has come to Britain to set the stage for a war."

Fudge nearly fell out of his chair when he heard the words 'imperial spy' and 'war'. "This can't be... you can't be serious. Lucius, please tell me that this all is just a distasteful prank!"

"I'm afraid not."

"Than Dumbledore... the Potters are among his closest allies! What about his claims that you-know-who is back? I can't believe he is part of such a plan."

"No, Dumbledore has been fooled as well." Oh how Lucius would have liked to implicate the old man, but he knew that the chances were nil that people would believe the old man to work together with his the family of his mortal enemy. "The Potter boy has fooled all of us."

"We must arrest him! Him and that spy. Capture them at once!" Fudge roared suddenly, as if anyone was here to hear that order and act on it.

"We must and we will. Those people the Potter boy was fighting against were some... old allies of mine. They love their home and will do what needs to be done to protect it. They will do their duty and protect us from the imperial attack."

"Yes, yes. I will also send my Aurors. We cannot allow them to escape. The entire country shall be put under lock down. No one will be allowed to portkey or apparate in or out!" Fudge said with determination.

"Good, good. I will leave you to your work then. I trust that you will make the right decisions, Cornelius. Our country's future depends on it." Lucius said as he turned to leave.

Just as he walked out, he heard Fudge yell for his secretary. The poor woman scrambled to her feet and ran into the office as if the Dark Lord himself was after her. It just confirmed Lucius opinion of the woman, a measly half-blood that actually knew its place.

* * *

><p>She opened her eyes groggily, blinking as the light suddenly hit her eyes. Her head was pounding, unmeasurable pain coming and going with every interval. As quickly as she had opened her eyes, she had closed them again.<p>

"I see your awake. The healers had told me that it wouldn't be long, but I had my doubts, seeing the condition your in." A familiar voice said nearby.

She opened her eyes, slowly this time, looking around to find the source. She found it in the form of a young man, dressed in a black uniform, staring intently out of the window.

"P...prince Tristan..." She said, weakly, her strength denying her any more words.

"Easy there, Freya. Your lucky to be alive at all. Those bastards sure did a number on you. We don't want you to die after all." Tristan said, worry evident in his tone. But there was also something else. It was subtle, but Freya could easily hear it. Anger, rage even. Of course the prince would feel like this. After what has happened...

"I... I'm... s...so...rry. I... failed..."

The look on his face changed, away from the impassive mask, towards a calmer, much more gentle look. "Don't worry. We will get those bastards. We will avenge our fallen friends." The determination in his voice left no room for doubts.

"The princess... Cassandra... They have taken her..."She felt so weak, drained completely, just by saying these few words.

Of course this attracted the prince's attention immediately. "They have her? Are you sure?"

_'Did they think she died?' _Freya suddenly thought. The way Tristan looked at her now left not doubt about that.

Freya merely managed to nod.

"Dammit. God dammit." Tristan punched the wall in outrage. It did not even bother him that his skin broke and blood began to seep from his knuckles.

"This is very important, Freya. There wasn't much left after the explosion, so we need to know who has taken my sister. Who has attacked you?"

Freya tried to steady her breath enough, so she could speak those crucial words. The words which would lead to another war. She had no doubt that the Empire would retaliate for this...

"Dea...th Ea...ters..."

"Those British dark wizards?" Tristan demanded in return. His temper was rising again. Freya nodded solemnly, accepting her role in this entire incident. Now she would be the harbinger of a new war, one greater than any other before. "Those god damn..." Tristan started, but stopped mid sentence. "Don't worry, Freya. We will get Cassandra back. And once she is safe we will crush those imbeciles once and for all. No more leniency, no more hope for a peaceful coexistence. Mother won't abide this, she will declare open war. She has to, for the sake of her child."

Freya watched his actions now, feeling too weak to move or make a sound now. She had no idea where she had erred, what she did wrong for things to turn out like this. But all she could do now was wait, wait until she was fit enough to fight again. Then, no one would be able to keep her away from the front lines.

Tristan said a few more words, before he stormed out of the room. He nearly ran over the healer, who had come to see the source of the sudden commotion. Of course the healer started fussing over her, but she couldn't bring herself to care. No, her attention was on the new commotion outside.

"TO ARMS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS! RELEASE THE HOUNDS OF HELL, WE ARE GOING TO WAR!" And as she heard Tristan's loud exclamation, she knew that destiny would run its course.

* * *

><p>They were all at home, enjoying a peaceful day on the weekend. For Lily Potter it was a day like many others before. She glad for it, glad that the new war against Voldemort had not yet started. She remembered vividly how bad it had been last time. So she treasured every peaceful day she had with her family. Little did she know, that the peace she enjoyed was about to end and that this day would mark a change in the life of her family, that would influence every future generation of the Potter family.<p>

The day had started like so many others before. A large family breakfast with her husband and sons. Harry and James arguing animatedly about some political topic they had read in the newspaper. Charlus waiting for his sibling and father to finish, so he could get one of them to go flying with him. It had all happened so often before.

But a knock on the front door was all that was needed to shatter this peaceful day. Lily was confused at first, not knowing who would visit them on this day. She had not expected any visitors at least and the only people who would come over unannounced did not bother to knock and just came in. At least it was someone who has been keyed into the wards, so it would be either a friend or a member of the Order of the Phoenix.

She answered the door with a feeling of trepidation. The feeling only grew when she saw the tall man, standing outside of the Potter family home. "Kingsley?" She asked in surprise.

"Good day to you, Lily. May I come in?" The man asked.

"Of course. Come in. Can I get you something?"

"No, but thanks. I'm afraid I am here on official business today." Kingsley looked curiously around, as he entered the house.

"Has something happened? Has Professor Dumbledore sent you?" Lily asked, visibly worried as she saw the somber attitude of the Auror.

"It is better I tell you and James at the same time. Is he at home?"

"Yes... he's is outside, flying with Charlus." She said, her worry even more evident now. "I'll will get him, please wait in the living room." She stormed off, to find her husband. She hurried, almost desperate to find out what Kingsley had to tell them. Just judging by his somber attitude, it was easy to understand that it was something very serious.

Not fife minutes later, the Potter parents sat in the living room of their house, looking expectantly at the dark skinned Auror before them. It was obvious that Kingsley was trying to find the right words for whatever he had to tell them. But the longer the silence continued, the more unbearable it became for the two Potters.

"So, come on, Kingsley. Spit it out. Why are you here?" James finally asked, as his impatience got the better of him.

Kingsley sighed, finally settling for the best way to tell his news. "Earlier today there has been a... fight. In Diagon Alley. Several witches and wizards in black robes had been seen fighting against a young man."

Both James and Lily paled slightly when they realized what this meant. There had been Death Eaters, bold enough to show themselves in the middle of Diagon Alley. They had not expected them to dare such a bold move for a long time to come. Dumbledore himself had said that they would wait in the shadows, biding their time until they had enough power. But that believe was obviously wrong.

"The young man has been described as a lean young man, about average height, with black, unruly hair and green eyes..."

"Harry!" Lily exclaimed in worry for her son. Harry had left earlier today to meet his friends... he had yet to get back home.

"Yes. Eyewitnesses have claimed that the young man was Harry James Potter. I must ask you, do you know where your son is at the moment?"

"No... he left early... I haven't seen him since breakfast..." Lily stammered, pale as a ghost now.

"Kingsley, what do you know about my son? What has happened? Is he hurt?" James, though often disagreeing with his son, still cared a lot for his first born and heir. The idea to loose Harry in a fight against Death Eaters seemed almost unbearable.

"Your son fought well. He managed to wound one enemy, before he escaped with an unknown girl. The person your son wounded died not much later from her wounds though..." Of course this came as a shock to all people present. The idea that Harry has not just fought, but also killed someone...

"Where is he?" James all but demanded to know.

"No one knows. I came here in the hope that you might have an idea. Harry is in a lot of trouble." Kingsley said. "And I don't mean just the Death Eaters. It was later revealed to us that the girl he had fled with, is actually an imperial spy. Fudge is currently sending out every single witch and wizard in the Ministry to find and capture Harry and that girl."

"What!" James exclaimed in outrage. "My son is no imperial collaborator. This has to be a mistake!" He could understand his son's intentions with the children of other, darker, pure blood families. He didn't like it, but he understood why. But Imperials... no, that couldn't be."

"I'm afraid that is all we know. Fudge actually believes that the Death Eaters your son fought against were upstanding members of this society, that tried to apprehend the imperial spy."

"This is an outrage. Such a miscarriage of justice cannot be accepted. I have half a mind to go to Fudge and..."

"And what, James. It will only get you into trouble and we don't have time to deal with such problems. My son is out there, accused of something he has not done. We must find him and prove his innocence." Lily interjected angrily, cutting her husband's rant short.

"I agree. That is why I have personally come here." Kingsley said. "I have also contacted Headmaster Dumbledore and he will call a meeting of the Order. We need to find your son, before any of Fudge's lackeys or worse, the Death Eaters get their hands on him."

"Yes, it's good that Professor Dumbledore already knows..." Lily murmured, as she tried to think of where her son could have run off to. As much as she loathed to admit it, she had absolutely no idea about what her son was up to. When he came back from Hogwarts for the last time, he had changed so much. The innocent young boy she had raised was gone, replaced by the almost enigmatic Harry she knew now.

"I might know a way to find him, Kingsley." James said. "Come, I will try it out immediately. We cannot afford to waste any more time." He stood up and quickly left the room, followed by Kingsley.

Lily, though, stayed behind, lost in her own thoughts. "Oh, Harry... what have you gotten yourself into, my son..." She murmured.

None of the adults had seen the small figure of the fifteen year old boy, who left the room quietly. The boy wouldn't have believed the entire story, had someone come and told it to him. But seeing his parents genuine shock and worry... it was obvious that all of this was true.


	4. Escape

**Well, well. Merry Christmas everyone. Originally I had not planned on continuing this, but recently there had been so many people asking for a new chapter, so I have decided to write a new one. See it as a christmas present of sorts. Good or bad... decide yourselves. **

**Have fun...**

* * *

><p>Harry quickly lead Cassandra through London's busy streets, intent on finding a place where he could leave some fake tracks, so no one would be able to follow them immediately. It wasn't easy to shoulder this entire situation, but Harry knew it had to be done. No matter how crazy it was, how unbelievable, how utterly confusing, the threat was real. Cassandra was in mortal danger... and so was he, now that he had helped her. He had no hope that there would be a chance to just turn around and forget any of this had ever happened. And he wasn't the kind of guy to abandon a girl to her fate, especially not in a situation like this.<p>

Cassandra followed him only half a step behind him. Astonishingly, even in this situation she managed to look graceful and dignified, something that Harry seemed to lack completely. Where he looked rushed, somewhat stressed, she looked calm and collected. At least on the outside. Judging by her earlier show of feelings, she was worried, afraid. Not for herself, but afraid of what others would do because of her. They were most likely quite the sight to the people on this street.

But Harry did not have the proper time to ponder what was going on outside of their immediate vicinity. He was glad that the muggle world provided them with shelter, if only for a short time. But hiding amongst them was easier than in the magical society.

Britain's magical society was so much smaller than its muggle counter part. It completely lacked the anonymity that the muggle world offered to those who wished to keep a low profile. Even more so, when one came from an important and widely known family, like the Potters. Harry's family was one of the most renown light families in Britain and as such he was recognized wherever he went. In the muggle world he was just another adolescent.

The Daily Prophet had published stories about him more than once. Most of the times without his consent, but at least they always portrayed him in a positive light... unlike what they did with his brother. Harry had earned quite a reputation as both a duelist and budding politician, both greatly respected traits among their society. His brother though... Charlus was the Quidditch Ace of the family, but his reputation was coined by his friendship to the boy-who-lived. All he did was always irrelevant as long as he stood in the shadow of Dumbledore's golden boy. A Potter shouldn't act like that, he should create his own legacy, earn his own fame. Away from Longbottom and Dumbledore. But neither his brother, nor his father ever learned that particular lesson.

Oh how often had he reprimanded his brother to seek better friends, some who would actually benefit him later on. Being friends with the boy-who-lived would not benefit him at all, even in the unlikely case that Longbottom manages to defeat Voldemort again. The boy had no future what so ever. The ruling families of their society despised him on principle. Not because he was a budding light wizard, but because he was nothing more than a puppet of Dumbledore. Charlus would follow the same path, so Harry warned him, repeatedly. But Charlus was much more loyal than a Hufflepuff and helped his friend through many dangerous situations in the last few years. Harry did not understand Charlus motivation, but he had a bad feeling that a certain manipulator had a hand in that as well.

But he couldn't think about this now. His brother's fate was not in his hand... nor will it ever be, if things go as Harry expected them to. He had other duties now, duties that were not dictated by a manipulative old man. He had chosen his own fate, though he wasn't sure where it would lead him. But helping an imperial, the imperial princess to boot, would not endear him to the rulers of his own society.

"Where are we going?" Cassandra asked, finally fed up with just following Harry through the streets.

"As I said, we need to leave some false tracks. But first we need to get away from our last apparition point. They must have traced us to that place by now, so we need to get away on foot." Harry explained.

"Are you sure that they can trace us this fast inside the city? You said that there are many people entering and leaving the city by magical means. Its nothing like that forest where no one would travel to."

"Those dark idiots have a lot of spies and contacts in the Ministry, so I expect them to be able to use their resources. And that means..."

"That there will be more than just Death Eaters after us." Cassandra wasn't surprised. If there was one thing that magical Britain was known for these days, then it was the corruption that crippled the government and the law enforcement. In the short time she had been in Britain, she had already learned the hard way that as an Imperial, she would not find any help from the local government. Not even as a victim of their own terrorists.

"I hope not, but things look grim at the moment. I've seen the Ministry, how it works. I have seen the corruption there. Hell, I was bound to follow their example once I would have inherited my family's headship. There would have been no way to escape that, if I had wished to keep my power."

It was a depressing revelation to him. There was no place for new ideas, no place for reforms. Those with power defend their power by sticking to the old ways. Everything new was perceived as a threat. Reforms that would benefit their country would never be considered, out of fear they could threaten the power of the ruling families. And those who try to change the country would inevitably loose their power and be replaced by someone who sticks to the government's ideology.

"Your Ministry sounds worse than our nobles. They are conniving, but at least they act for the well being of the Empire... or what they believe to be the best... well mostly what benefits them the most, but at least it's progress."

"Doesn't matter anymore. There are greater plans in motion now. Come..." He hurried along, Cassandra still following him closely, until they heard someone scream.

"There he is!" Some one yelled loudly, the voice filled with hatred.

"Oh shit. They've found us already" Harry cursed. He tried to stay cool, but inside he was panicking slightly. He caught a short glimpse of a black robed man. Several others ran behind him, all in robes, sticking out like a sore thumb in the muggle crowd.

"You won't escape me Potter! You will pay for what you did to my sister!"

Harry looked around, searching for a way to escape. He had no doubt that this place would turn into a battlefield, should he stay. Those Death Eaters disregarded the most basic principles of the Statute of Secrecy. They would fight in the middle of countless muggles, knowing that Ministry would send people to hush this up.

"There, the Underground!" Harry grabbed Cassandra's hand and pulled her quickly towards the steps that lead to the nearby station. Around this time of the day the stations should be overcrowded, a perfect chance to disappear.

Cassandra nearly fell, as he pulled her down the steps, but she did nothing to stop him. She heard the sound of something hitting the sign next to her. A loud clang, before something fell to the ground.

"Those morons. They don't even care about secrecy. They will expose our whole society this way," Harry said with a frown, as he descended the stairs. He ran towards the train, which waited further down the station. If they could make it to that train they had a good chance to escape their pursuers, but else...

"POTTER!" Someone else yelled, from the direction of the only other exit.

With Death Eaters coming from both sides, Harry and Cassandra had only one chance to escape. But today just wasn't Harry's day. The train's doors closed moments before they could reach it and the underground train left the station.

"Shit, shit, shit," Harry cursed as he looked for an escape. Anything would be welcome now. But there was nothing. Only curses, green, red and yellow, flying their way. "Into the tunnel." Before Cassandra could react he had already scooped her up bridal style and jumped down on the tracks, running into the dark tunnel where the train had disappeared before.

Some people cried out when they saw him jump, but most people were already too preoccupied. The unrestrained attack from the dark robed wizards had already caused a panic, as some people were hit by curses.

Harry saw one man getting hit by a red curse as he ran. He felt bad, knowing that without him here, no muggle would have gotten hurt. But he couldn't change it and dieing by a Death Eater's hand would not undo the damage. And he had to protect Cassandra. He had made that his duty, for her sake and the sake of his home country. So he ran. So he ignored the chaos he had wrought upon the innocent people around him.

The tunnel around them was narrow and dark, with barely enough room on each side to allow a person to walk next to the tracks. But even walking there would be suicide when a train passes by.

"Harry," Cassandra said, as she held on to him. He had yet to set her down, but he just continued running. All she could do was cling to him.

Back home it would have been seen as an outrageous act to touch her like this. Her brother, protective as he was, would challenge anyone to a duel who even thought about looking at her in the wrong way. But Harry just did this, without asking. Sure, he did it to protect her, but still, this new experience was almost thrilling. It would have been, without the insane terrorists hunting them.

She saw a group of wizards running after them. They were getting closer with every passing moment. Harry got progressively slower, since he had ran while carrying her on his arms.

"Harry they are getting closer..." she said, as she continued looking over his shoulder.

"I know, I know," He grunted a little breathless.

"Lights!"

"What?"

"Lights are getting closer... a train! Harry, a train is coming!" She yelled into his ear.

Harry tried to run fast, his head whipping around in search for an escape. He tried to apparate, but to no avail. "They are blocking magical transportation here..."

"And what now?" Cassandra asked worriedly. The train was getting closer. The Death Eaters behind them had already disappeared, most likely with the help of a portkey that could circumvent the blockade.

"Unless you have a portkey on your person we have only one choice..." he left the sentence hanging there, before he jumped into a small alcove to his right. Seconds later the train rushed past them. But Cassandra barely realized that, since Harry had pinned her between himself and the wall.

He was breathing heavily from running for so long while carrying her on his arms.

They looked into each others eyes. No sounds could be heard, except the rumbling of the train in the distance and Harry's breathing.

After what seemed to have been an eternity Harry finally said, "Are you alright?" It touched her that his first concern was her welfare, even though they were both in great danger. She nodded numbly, slightly embarrassed, as she realized how close they were.

But Harry suddenly stepped away from her, grabbing his left hand with his right. He looked worried all of a sudden.

"Is something wrong?" Cassandra asked carefully. She watched as he pulled a silver ring with an opulent ornament. "Harry?"

"They are trying to find me."

"Our enemies?"

Harry hesitated with his answer, but then he answered, "No. My family. This is the heir ring of House Potter. The head of my family can use it to find me..." He showed her the ring, especially the seal. A blood red stone, carved into the shape of a roaring lion.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"No. At the moment I am a danger to all of them." He carefully place the ring on the ground, before he took out his wand and sent a spell at it.

The small golden piece of jewelery melted away before their eyes, a small flicker of light was all that showed how the spells on the ring failed and disappeared. Harry watched this with sadness in his eyes.

"Was this... necessary?"

"Yes," Harry replied solemnly. "I cannot carry it with me without endangering others. And just leaving it somewhere is not an option. The ring was too important to my family. This was the only way. Heirlooms such as this can be created anew, but the lives of my family are not replaceable." He did not tell her how he really felt though. Somehow he knew that by destroying this ring he had severed his connection to his family. There was no turning back now.

"We have to go. Who knows when the next train will arrive," Harry said, as he offered her his hand. She took it without much consideration and allowed him to lead her away. They were running again, but this time without any pursuers. The Death Eaters had disappeared and both Harry and Cassandra hoped that they would not see their earlier attackers again.

They soon reached the next train station, luckily without any more unwanted surprises. Some muggles looked at them oddly, when they saw the two leave the tunnel, but no one stopped them or even tried to talk to them. By now Harry had given up on leaving false traces, too high was the risk to run into their enemies again. Both Harry and Cassandra agreed that it was high time to leave London and start their way south. If all went well they could be in France in less than two days.

Less than an hour later they had reached the intended meeting place, where Aries and Cedric should be waiting for them. They had only narrowly avoided several Aurors and another group of Death Eaters on their way, but luckily they remained undetected. Harry could only hope that things would stay this way. That they would managed to get to France without any further interruptions.

They passed King's Cross on their way and Harry felt almost nostalgic, as he looked at the train station. From here he had departed to Hogwarts for so many years. Fond memories of a fading past. His last school year had ended only months ago, but he already missed going to that school, despite all the falsities and manipulations there. Not even the school was safe from political power plays. I didn't matter if it was an old man who tried to fill the ranks of his personal light wizard order or dark families that tried to influence their world by controlling the school and the children there.

But he still liked the time there, when the worlds problems still seemed so far away. But they needed to go elsewhere. St. Pancras. From there they would depart towards the south.

As soon as they had entered the large train station, they started looking for Harry's elusive friends. Luckily for them, a person like Aries Black is usually easy to be found. He was either where the pretty girls are or anywhere near a bar. In both cases he usually made a fool out of himself and caused a commotion. But Aries wasn't alone this time and with Cedric by his side the chances to find them in a non compromising position increased tenfold.

In the end though, Cedric and Aries found Harry and Cassandra, not the other way round. And both young wizards had somber expressions on their faces.

"Harry! There you are. We already feared that the enemy has found you," Cedric said, with an obviously relieved sigh.

"Nah, you know Harry, those idiots can't take him down." Aries said confidently.

"Thanks for the support, Aries. But we had indeed a run in with the Death Eaters, but nothing we couldn't get away from. But more important, do you have the tickets?"

Aries grinned triumphantly, as he pulled four tickets out of his pocket. "But of course."

"Why are there four tickets? You don't think that you two are coming with us, are you?"

"Harry, you know us, we won't abandon a friend in need. And you need help right now, that much is obvious," Cedric stated calmly. Leave it to the ever loyal Hufflepuff-alumni to lecture about loyalty.

"Guys this isn't a game. There are a lot of people hunting Cassandra and me. I already involved you two far too much. Don't risk your lives for me."

"And you really expect us to abandon you like this? No chance," Aries said stubbornly. "Like it or not, we will come along."

"Even when it could make you enemies of Britain?" Cassandra asked the young Black.

Aries looked confused, "What is she talking about? Where exactly are you going?"

Harry didn't want to answer that question, but he knew he owed his friends at least a small explanation. "To France... and from there towards the Empire."

"The Empire?" Aries and Cedric asked simultaneously.

"Still want to come?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Now more than ever. You owe us a long explanation about this. But our train leaves soon, so we should hurry." Cedric looked at the clock, before he tried to usher the others towards their train.

"Right..." Harry wasn't sure whether this was the best or the worst decision his friends have ever made, but he couldn't deny that he was very grateful for their loyalty. He would need loyal friends very soon. He had no idea what conflict would await him, once they had left Britain behind.


End file.
